Coffee O’Clock? A Yogi’s Guide to Caffeination

If coffee is the first thing on your mind when you wake up you might be suprised to hear that the “morning magic” we usually associate with coffee is actually thanks to the simple acting of drinking a hot beverage. A warm cup of anything - even just hot water - will stimulate digestion, hydrate your body after sleep, and get things moving internally and externally! Not only is the caffeine not necessary, it can spike our cortisol levels at a time in the day when they are at a natural high, setting us up for a topsy turvy, and potential anxiety inducing day.

So, if not the morning…. when should we drink coffee?

Waiting until approximately 90 minutes after you wake up means your natural cortisol levels are starting to dip, and coffee is ready to offer a cleaner and much more sustainable energy lift in perfect time to clear away that pesky post lunch fogginess.

A smooth wake up is as much about a smooth wind down, and so generally the best time to stop drinking coffee is around 6 to 8 hours before bedtime, as caffeine can significantly disrupt sleep quality. This recommendation is based on the half-life of caffeine, which is the time it takes for half of the caffeine to be eliminated from your body. On average, caffeine has a half-life of about 5 to 6 hours, though this can vary depending on individual factors like age, liver function, medications, and genetics. So, if you consume a cup of coffee with 200 mg (approx 1 shot of barista coffee!) of caffeine at 4pm, you could still have around 100 mg in your system by 10pm which is certainly enough to interfere with falling asleep or achieving deep rest.

The Perfect Start: Sunrise Yoga followed by a truly appreciated Mindful Coffee ☕

How does this sound, set the alarm and make sure topped the kettle up the night before, ready to click on before you get yourself sorted. By the time you are ready your hot water will be sufficiently cooled for you to sip on the way to a sunrise vinyasa class! After 60minutes of morning flow your system will be ready for that first coffee… and not only ready! Your senses will be wide open and you’ll get the full experience!

Plus to make it taste even sweeter every day we offer our #SunriseSocial special. 30% off all coffees before 9am! Quite literally, perfectly timed!